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upgrade from 75 to 200 internet. replace ONT? replace routers?

Hi,

I am currently paying $75/month for 75 internet only.
I chatted with sales agent who told me that I could upgrade to 200 for only $40/month. Great!
BUT, she said that I would need a new ONT (with $150 tech visit).

I chatted with tech support today and he said that I wouldn't need a new ONT to upgrade my internet.
I currently have an Alcatel Lucent I-211M-H ONT (which according to dslreports is GPON). I have coax going from that to a G1100 router. I have two old MI424WR rev F routers hooked up via MOCA.
I was thinking the best way to improve my network would be to replace the old routers with a couple of G1100s and set up one on each floor for good wifi coverage and to serve PCs via LAN.
1. Can I upgrade without replacing my ONT?
2. Is it a good idea to buy the G1100s to improve my speeds?
Thanks!!!

Comments

jonjones1

First off your higher speed can be done via Ethernet not coaxial. Do you have tv service? If not you can use your own purchased router and save the rentals on the Verizon branded routers. Routers like netgear and to-link archer or asus are much superior. Netgear has com probable routers for around $70 which is better than paying for service rentals.

however if you have tv and phone service than you are better off with the G1100 or G3100 branded routers.

if you were told your ONT is not needed to be upgraded then leave it alone.

verizon may still try and get an upgrade fee out of you. So check your invoices.

verizon is offering gigabit speed for around $80 which is the highest speed at present for consumer use.

Cang_Household

@jazzbone wrote:
1. Can I upgrade without replacing my ONT?

Yes. You need to wire an Ethernet from the ONT to your router, and contact official Fios support to switch from coax to Ethernet before placing your order for the speed upgrade to avoid the $149/$99 upgrade/field visit fee.

@jazzbone wrote:
2. Is it a good idea to buy the G1100s to improve my speeds?

Since you currently has coax from the ONT to your router, I am assuming you have coax wired around the house. If you want to use LAN MoCA for network backbone, used G1100 from Ebay is a good choice. It has a 500Mbps MoCA throughput plus you don't need to spend extra on buying Ethernet switches.

@jonjones wrote:
Routers like netgear and to-link archer or asus are much superior. Netgear has com probable routers for around $70 which is better than paying for service rentals.

I suggest you to buy used G1100 routers for $37 from Ebay rather than buying NetGear or TP-Link. jonjones, I won't use the phrase "much superior." G1100 has 802.11ac 3 x 3 MIMO and delivers over 400Mbps. Plus you won't find MoCA and Syslogs on consumer-grade routers. NetGear, if I remember my experience correctly, does not offer technical support after 6 months. Verizon offers technical support even you bought the router from Ebay. The router still pulls updates from Verizon backend.

jonjones1

The netgear routers have about 6 months of technical support, and in that you are correct.

however if using ethernet MOCA (coaxial) is not necessary. Of course the coaxial router/modem combination is only if you are using cable internet/tv

greenwave routers branded for Verizon have great ethernet connections but are sorely lacking in WiFi which is a proven fact.

yes it may be great to pay $37 dollars for one but a consumer has to be careful it is not a frontier version of the Fios router. Many people have been suckered.

many other routers have 4x4 and mimo and band steering as well as much higher speeds. And gave dual band or tri band and above so an outside router still maybe the best option.

I have seen netgear and asus and TP Link new in the box from $40 to $70 for Fios use. Again it depends on the circumstances.

alas tech support from Verizon is nil in the use of external brand routers, however I have read that the FCC is considering rules that would make this issue moot. And Verizon does offer a service for a price naturally to give tech services to any router.

jazzbone

Update: Well, it took a while, but I finally got upgraded!

I bought three G1100s, some locally and one through Amazon used. All were less than $40 each. I had forgotten how to configure them for MOCA. So, I called Verizon tech support. They were completely worthless. The tech told me that I couldn't use the G1100 to do that. It wouldn't work. There was two hours wasted. Thank goodness I found the dslreports article again: Can I get an ethernet connection in a room with only coax? Verizon FiOS FAQ | DSLReports, ISP Information

After configuring the G1100s, I chatted with Verizon and had them switch my connection from coax to ethernet. That was relatively painless. Then, I ordered the upgrade to 200/200 at the $40 price. No problem. Wait, wait, wait... nothing. I finally called yesterday and the rep said that they were waiting for me to connect the ethernet cable. I told them it had been done last week, they flipped the switch, done!

I am now getting 300/300 both wired and wirelessly everywhere in my house, with three g1100 wifi access points. (I turned off the wifi on one of the routers because I didn't need it.)

Thanks for the advice!

Cang_Household

Glad to hear back from you with a working setup.

Configuring G1100s into "extender" mode is out of scope for the official tech support. I guess we want to reserve this valuable resource for those who need to troubleshoot Broadband connection.

For router configuration and general networking inquiries, you are more than welcome to post on this Forum. The CLs and other users will do their best to help you.

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